Hey everyone, how's it going? It's me, I'm alive, and I bring another installment of this story. To address some reviews I've gotten, I know that last chapter wasn't very M rated, and I don't know if it will get much more graphic than that, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I hope you guys like this story, don't forget to R&R! Much love!

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"Well great, now what do we do?"

The question hung in the air without a response as the three stood in the cockpit, their faces each shadowed in uncertainty. With their ship torn to pieces, they couldn't go anywhere or call for help, leaving them vulnerable to the people outside. Judging from what they had seen so far, it was a risk to assume they were Republic friendly.

"We need to figure out how to contact the Republic. We can get reinforcements here within the next few days." Anakin said as he stood, staring at the control panel with a frustrated glare. "I need some air."

The two women backed out of his way as he stomped toward the ramp, clearly frustrated with their situation. Ahsoka sighed, shaking her head as she followed him.

"Just give him some time, he'll cool off. This isn't the first time we've lost a ship and it won't be the last."

"You seem really calm about all of this," Padmé noted, accepting Ahsoka's hand as she climbed down from the ship, "does this sort of thing usually happen to you?"

"Sometimes," she said with a shrug, "but this typically happens on the front lines. For a diplomatic mission, this is a first. We just need to come up with a plan, and he'll be fine."

Searching the hangar, she spotted her master towards the landing strip, looking out over the city. The smoke hung thick in the air, stinging her eyes and filling her nose. It looked a lot worse than it had from the suite.

The buildings she had admired as they flew in now were crumbled and scorched. She could see Separatist tanks patrolling the streets, droids disappearing into the houses lining the street. She looked on in disbelief as the occupants were dragged out into the street, either forced to march onwards or shot.

"What are the Separatists doing here?" She asked as she crouched down next to him.

"That Frimathan senator arranged this...It all makes perfect sense."

She looked at him, confused. She knew the moon was against Republic intervention, but the Senator's whole argument was that he didn't want to draw the war to their system. Allying themselves with the separatists would bring war, suffering, death and destruction to the planet the second their droids hit the ground.

"He was bluffing," he responded when she asked aloud, "he never wanted to negotiate. This was never about ending the war. If Laiz wouldn't give in to him, his plan was to take the planet by force. The Separatists won't care at all what happens to the citizens. They'll just use the planet as another base."

"The Republic needs to know about this," Padmé chimed in from behind, "maybe we can convince Frimatha to reconsider…"

"They had the chance to listen to us!" He barked, snapping his head back at her. The hangar echoed his words, slowly fading into an eerie silence. "They had their chance... instead they poisoned us and trapped us. They're not going to change their minds until they're overrun, starving, and dying. The best we can do right now is make sure Bharati doesn't follow their lead."

Anakin spoke, his words tight and his eyes on fire. Time and time again, he was forced to look on helplessly as another planet was dragged into a galactic war with no end in sight. Had they just listened to the Republic Senators, they could have warned them of the Separatists tactics and the devastation they leave behind. Now he didn't even know if the Senators were still alive.

"Okay… and how do we do that?" Ahsoka spoke, her question cutting through the silence that followed his dim prediction. She could sense the unease among them, swirling in the air, descending over them like a thick layer of fog. It unnerved her, but not nearly as much as the overall feeling of despair that seemed to reach her from every corner of the planet. The fear and the grief and the impending sense of doom seemed to get heavier on her shoulders with each passing second, but she steeled herself and put it to the back of her mind. Right now, she had to focus on the people she could help, rather than those she couldn't. Just as her master had told her.

"We need to move quickly. The palace isn't safe with all those droids, not to mention the Frimathans. We'll find a ship, exit the system and call for help."

"And leave the other Senators here, at the mercy of these animals? We can't, Ani! We need to look for them, break them out and then leave!" Padmé pleaded, her hand reaching to rest on Anakin's shoulder. She looked into his troubled blue eyes, fear and uncertainty swirling in her own. He closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh as he pushed her hand away and stood slowly. When he looked at her again, his expression softened and he pulled her into a one armed hug. With his head resting on her shoulder, he spoke softly, stroking her back lightly.

"We can't, Padmé… I'm sorry, but we can't. If we're going to have any chance at helping them, we need backup. We can't help them if we don't help ourselves first. We're going to get out of this, you just need to trust me. Please, please trust me…"

Ahsoka looked away from the pair, electing to give them their private moment. The senator wasn't used to such stressful life and death situations, and having to leave the fate of her friends up to somebody else was clearly weighing on her. Each of them felt their respective guilt at the situation, but she couldn't imagine how it would feel to know that she was only safe because of her special friendship with the Jedi. Anakin knew her better, he would be the most equipped to help her cope with everything going on.

She took another look over the city, before her eyes flitted to the horizon. There was another droid ship landing, on the outskirts of the city in an industrial landing bay. As the Padawan looked more closely, she could see a number of ships already parked on the surrounding asphalt, with two more ships descending through the atmosphere toward it.

"That looks like a good place to start," Ahsoka said, drawing the attention of her master and the senator, "it looks like they're setting up a base of operations on the north end of the city."

"If we can get there, we could steal a ship and send a transmission. Lay low while we wait for reinforcements. The problem is going to be getting there… they have the whole city locked down." Anakin looked over the skyline yet again, allowing the senator to compose herself. He traced the outer edges of the city, mapping out possible routes and obstacles in a single glance. Past experience allowed him to easily identify the fastest way through, but in a typical situation he wouldn't have Padmé to worry about. His Jedi training had equipped him well to deal with unexpected obstacles and it wasn't the first time he had to navigate a dangerous situation with a liability, but any situation putting Padme at risk made him uneasy. As difficult as it was to admit, she disrupted his focus and no matter what his thoughts dwelled on her. Anakin shook his head slightly, trying to rid himself of his doubts and worries and clear his mind as he had been taught, but the Force did little to bring him peace.

"Any ideas, Master?" Ahsoka questioned him, trying to keep her tone jovial and lighthearted. She didn't need her heightened senses to see the stress that plagued her Master, the worry in his eyes and the tightness of his muscles spoke for themselves. Although it wasn't a normal occurrence, Ahsoka could see that this situation was one that required her to be strong and have courage, not only for herself, but for her Master and Senator Amidala too. Her master was obviously dealing with his own turmoil with the Senator's presence, and he didn't seem to be present in the here and now. It was clear that he had lost control of the situation, and when Anakin didn't have control and was as helpless to the situation as everyone else, his usual cocky attitude and self-confidence faltered and it did little to help them in their predicament. Ahsoka knew that her Master was always there for her, but in these desperate times, she had to be the strong one to lean on, and prove that she was as resourceful and dependable as she had been trained to be.

"I don't know, Snips… I need some time to think." He spoke softly, his words quiet and unsure. His eyes lay on the horizon, but it was clear his focus was elsewhere.

"Master… we don't have any more time. You were the one who told me that we can't afford to get distracted and that you needed me to be strong. It's your turn to be strong and keep focused. I know you're worried." Their eyes met when she spoke, and Ahsoka held her Master's gaze when he started to look away from her.

"You care for her… I know you do. She's very close to you and having her in a dangerous situation makes you scared. But you need to snap out of it, if we have any chance at stopping this before it's too late. You need to pull yourself together and be strong for her. Be strong for me."

Anakin sighed, running a hand through his hair and looking at his Padawan with a newfound feeling of guilt. She was right, and he knew his behavior was unbecoming of a Jedi Master. His Padawan shouldn't be the one who has to tell him to man up and stop being a coward.

"You're right. I will, this situation has me a little rattled, but I need to focus. You know, I kind of like this new bossy you. Just don't forget who's the Master here, Snips." She rolled her eyes in typical Ahsoka fashion, but she smiled as he seemed to be acting like his normal self.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Skyguy. Now come on, let's get our gear and head for that landing bay. Hopefully there's still a planet to save by the time we get there."

Getting down to the street level wasn't as hard as the trio had initially guessed, considering the state of the palace. Despite the once illustrious halls now being in a state of disrepair, they had managed to avoid seeing anybody else on their journey from the landing bay. Deciding that the main entrances were too exposed, they opted to take one of the routes designed for servants to enter and exit the palace without being seen. They followed a simple hallway until they reached a door leading to the outer streets, placing them in a deserted alleyway in the heart of the city. Swiftly they made their way down back alleyways and deserted streets, keeping to the shadows and avoiding the patrols of droids. It was only a matter of time before they reached the ships, but everybody had the same dreary knowledge that time was not on their side.